Customer Reviews

Wouldn't It Be Nice: Brian Wilson and the Making of the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds (The Vinyl Frontier series)

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I've been eyeing this title since it was announced, and lo and behold I found a copy of the British version at HMV in London while on a business trip (it has the same cover but a different title). I read it on the trip home and though I was familar with Granata's work (from his book on Frank Sinatra), I was awed by its thorough analysis of how Brian Wilson made the best music of his life. As a musician, I appreciated the lucid 'start to finish' description of how Pet Sounds came to be, and the detailed information provided by the writers and musicians. Although I am familiar with the story (what musician isn't?) no one book has ever brought the whole story together as Mr. Granata has here. Beach Boys devotees will be familiar with the Pet Sounds Sessions CD set, and while the booklets included in that set were revealing they pale in comparison to the cohesive story found in this book. Instead of doing what the editors did on the Pet Sounds box set (simply reprinting every interview with every musician - ad nauseum repetitions and verbal stumblings included), the author has selected the most salient points and emphasized them with pertinent quotes that support each topic he discusses. With major commentary from lyricist Tony Asher and others who participated in the sessions, Granata's fresh approach results in one of the most compelling and enjoyable reads on Brian Wilson and his music. Unlike other Beach Boys books that reflect way too much of the writer's self-absorption (the horrid 'Add Some Music to Your Day') or ones that concentrate more on the sensational aspect of the Beach Boys ('Heroes and Villains'), this one hits the mark squarely in the center, focusing on Brian's genius, and how he managed to make his musical ideas a reality. My only gripe is that I wished Granata had included more of the technical details relating to recording and the studios that Brian used. Kudos to Charles Granata for FINALLY bringing disparate elements of the Pet Sounds story together in a readable and erudite volume. This is destined to become THE word on what is definitley the ultimate musician's album. I agree wholeheartedly with Bruce Johnston, who is quoted on the cover: this book is 'Intelligently researched and beautifully written.' In a nut shell: musicians and Brian Wilson fans will LOVE it.

I loved this book! I have been a PET SOUNDS diehard for six years now and nothing I've read on the album so far has answered all the questions I had. This book does that and more. He explains why this album was so brilliant. He explains wonderfully the collaboration process between Brian Wilson and Tony Asher. He gives a pre-Pet Sounds examination of the Beach Boys catalog to show how Brian grew artistically as well as a post-Pet Sounds examination of Brian's random spouts of greatness. This book has everything you could want. It is written by a man who truly loves PET SOUNDS and understands every fans need to personally thank Brian for this gorgeous album that changed our lives.

Firstly this book is also known as "I Just Wasn't Made For These Times" here in Australia and other territories. I bought it 5 days ago (for a bargain price) to read on my train journey to and from work and finished it today. It is an amazing journey through a masterwork that was highly underated (at least domestically in the USA). It had one particular effect in that section about the early years inspired me to go back to that same store the day after I bought the book & acquire 6 Beach Boys 2fer CD's. I have also ordered also Friends+20/20. I've always intended seeking out the Pet Sounds Sessions boxed set and am doubly inspired to do so.
I found the book to be easy to digest even when it got "musically technical". I love the album having only discovered it in upon it's 1990 CD issue. I've since replaced it with the HDCD remaster including both the Stereo & Mono versions. The research is so thorough that one really "get's inside" Brian's Wilson's head. The only thing missing is a more recent comment from the man himself..it seems everyone else has a say and we are left with older quotes from the album's creator. That's aminor quibble as the other conributors more than fill in the gaps here. I will certainly be listening to this with "new ears". I recommend this book wholeheartedly.

This book is a "must-read" for anybody interested in Brian Wilson,The Beach Boys, Phil Spector, the Beatles, or 60's music in general.

It's all here-the inside stuff regarding the making of a classic album, as well as the fascinating interpersonal dynamics between Brian Wilson and his own family, as well as the whole Beach Boys family. The interactions beween Brian and the rest of the Beach Boys and between Brian and Phil Spector are especially interesting. And I finally learned why Phil Spector produced all his recordings in mono!

This book was a long time coming-but well worth the wait.

This a quick read that sums up the musical and lyrical genius that is Pet Sounds. The author takes a diplomatic approach to the rocky relationship Brian had with the other Beach Boys (especially Mike Love), and focuses more on the music and technical aspects of the album rather than the lore surrounding Brian Wilson's problems and increasing demise.

For Beach Boys/Brian Wilson fans, the back story on Brian's life might seem redundant, but for newcomers to the Wilson story it does a good job of summing up what moulded him into the person he was and why he wanted to deviate from the Beach Boys formula and branch out, eventually producing Pet Sounds. The book has excellent research, and it shows. While lacking minute production details, it does a good job at bringing Wilson's studio innovation to life by describing the people he worked with as well as his adventurous studio methods. Wilson's quotes don't really shed much light on the subject, but the studio musicians of the album enlighten one to what it might have been like working with such an innovative genius at his peak.

This book gives Tony Asher just as much credit and copy as Wilson himself. The author of the book actually seems just as interested in Asher's lyrics as he does Brian Wilson's music, preferring the songs of Asher to the traditional 'Sloop John B', which the author felt 'destroyed' the idea of Pet Sounds being a 'bona fide concept album'. While the author's prejudice about the album lies in his personal liking for it, he does an overall objective job when it comes to presenting the content and actual making of the album.

I recommend this book to anyone who would like to find out more about studio production techniques of the 1960s and collaborative songwriting.

there is nothing like reading how a Great Album was Created especially from a Song by Song take.reading the details how the basic elements of the songs came together&how the Instrumentation&Arrangements came into view for different tracks.Brian Wilson is truly of the Greatest Pop Music Forces Ever.a Great read.

Clearly written, Chuck Granata has done his homework. He writes about the album's imporant place in history. Tony Ashton spends a lot of time writing about the time he and Brian spent on the lyrics. Occasionally Granata gets a little too deep into music theory for me. You should love it if you like the album

Want to know something about the Beach Boys masterpiece, "Pet Sounds"? It's probably in this books, which briskly covers the relavent history, the production processes, the initial response to the album and the continued legacy of the music.

Yes, it does cover much of the same territory as the liner notes for the "Pet Sounds Sessions" box, but since I tend to keep my box set booklets with the box sets, this book fits nicely into the music section of my handier bookshelves.

And it really shouldn't matter, but this is a cool, clean, excellently put together little book with a perfect cover, eye-friendly typeset and great photographs.

This is a great book to read for anyone interested in the recording of the greatest album of all time.
It has great interviews with the some of the key session players of the album (and the era), and even better, tons of material from lyricist Tony Asher.
The writer did a wonderful job telling the story of how the album was conceived through several interesting interviews; he writes about each particular song during the writing and recording process.
The best of the book: The tales from Tony Asher about the writing process in Brian's house.
The only low point: Theres isn't too much material from Brian himself, which I am sure the writer tried to reach.
Last comment: This book is written with passion and love for the music inside the Pet Sounds record, it is THE BOOK to read about the album.

Most of the "meat" of this book seems to be drawn from that priceless little green book in "The Pet Sounds Sessions" box set. Why would we be buying this book, if we hadn't ALREADY bought the box set, and rapturously devoured every word of interviews with Wilson, Asher, Britz, et al?

I was expecting more of a nuts'n'bolts dissection -- i.e., some MUSICOLOGY (in the style of Phil Rose's "Which One's Pink") A little something for us musicians. C'mon -- This is one of the most musically groundbreaking pop albums of the 20th century! No, instead we get -- *descriptions*. Descriptions of the music, descriptions of the lyrics. Descriptions are an insult and a waste. You can't do justice to art by describing it -- a common trap art writers fall into.

As an aside, I was taken aback when another, happier reviewer said, "Now I know why Spector recorded in mono!" Look, enjoy the journey, buddy, wish ya the best -- but for those of us who started that journey a *long time ago*, this book doesn't have much new stuff to offer.

Heck . . . Maybe the subject's been finally written out. (Well, at least SMiLE is finally on the way!!!)